Cell door



April 4, 1961 T. J. TYSDAL 2,977,645

CELL DOOR Filed Aug. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ex A v INVENTOR: 24 THEODORE .f. TYSDAL) HTTO/QNE 7 5 56 5 5 V W, E744 w April 4, 1961 T. J. TYSDAL 2,977,645

CELL DOOR Filed Aug. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lA/VEA/TOE. THEODORE J. TY-SDAL,

United States Patent CELL DOOR Theodore J. Tysdal, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Pauly Jail Building Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Aug. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 755,789

2 Claims. (Cl. 20-19) The present invention relates generally to doors, and more particularly to a novel prison cell door arrangement providing multiple interlocks between the door and the associated cell.

In brief, the present invention contemplates a'sliding door arrangement for a prison cell wherein the movable door enters automatically into an interlocked relationship with the fixed cell in either its fully opened position or its fully closed position. The interlocks herein contemplated are disposed along the vertical edges of the door and are in addition to well known devices for locking the door against opening or closing movement.

Besides adding to the securing of the overall restrained interengagement of the door with its cell, the improved arrangement disclosed herein substantially eliminates the problem of rattling of cell doors by the individuals confined therein.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel cell and sliding door arrangement wherein positioning of the door in either a fully opened or a fully closed position provides automatic interlocked engagement therebetween.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel cell and door arrangement which incorporates a plurality of interlocking devices along the vertical edges of the movable door.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel cell and door arrangement wherein the door is interlocked with the cell along its top, bottom and both sides in either a fully opened or a fully closed position.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel restraining structure for a cell door comprising a locking bar along each of the vertical edges of the door for automatic interlocking engagement with fixed elements provided in the cell structure.

The foregoing, along with additional objects and advantages, will be apparent from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention as depicted in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a prison cell and door conforming to the present invention, the door being shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with the door being shown in opened position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a removed door stop adapted for riveted installation; and

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a removed door stop adapted for welded installation. 7

Directing more particular attention to the details of the drawings as indicated by reference characters, the

2,977,645 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 ice.

numeral 10 designates generally a cell and door arrangement which incorporates the teachings of the present invention. The arrangement 10 comprises a fixed cell structure 12 provided with a movable cell door 14. The cell 12 includes the usual grating assembly 16 surmounted by a conventional transom structure 18 from which is suspended the door 14.

The grating 16 comprises upright bars 20 extending through horizontal plates 22 and also includes vertical door jambs 24 which definethe sides of a door opening 26. An individual interlocking plate 28 is secured by means of rivets 30 to each of the jambs 24. From Figure 6, it will be observed that these interlocking plates 28 are of generally elongated form and are provided with spaced vertically extending slots 32, as well as with horizontally extending notches 34. In addition, of course, the plates 28 have holes 36 for accommodation of the rivets 30.

As is clear from Figure 5, the notches 34 receive horizontal plates 22 so that the interlocking plate 28 may be secured flush against the jamb 24 with the vertical slots 32 disposed outwardly beyond the front edges of the jambs.

In addition to there being an interlocking plate 28 disposed at each side of the dooropening 26, an interlocking plate 38, shown removed in Figure 7, is located parallel to the plates 28 at a distance equal to the spacing between the plates 28 themselves. plate 38 is identical with the interlocking plates 28, except that the former need not have the rivet holes 36. Preferably, then, the plate 38 is secured in place by welding to the horizontal plates 22 which engage the notches 34.

The door 14 is of generally conventional construction comprising a grating 40 of vertical bars 42 and horizontal plates 44, but includes special side framing members 46 for interlocking engagement with the abovedescribed interlocking plates 28 and 38. Thus, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, the side members 46 of the door 14 take the form of elongated plates provided with oppositely extending pairs of flanges 48 at spaced intervals along one of the vertical edges. The flanges 48 are so spaced and of such size as to be readily accommodated in the elongated slots 32 of the interlocking plates 28 and 38. It is, of course, clear that the vertical door members 46 may be formed from standard T sections, with portions of the flanges removed so as to leave only the desired portions 48; or the members 46 may comprise elongated plates to which the several flanges 48 are secured by a process such as welding.

The provision for interlocking the sides of the door 14 with the fixed cell structure is not intended to eliminate the conventional guiding and restraining structure normally provided along the top and bottom edges of the cell door. Thus, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and S, the cell and door arrangement 10 includes interlocking guides comprising an angular transom cover 50 and a suspension member 52 at the top of the door 14, and an angular member 54 cooperating with a channel member 56 at the bottom of the door.

In use, the invention described herein serves to interlock the movable door'14 firmly with the fixed cell 12 when the former is in either its fully opened 'or fully closed position. As clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, this interlock is achieved through interengagement of the flanges 48 at the sides of the door 14 with the interlocking plates secured to the cell structure as above described. While the interlocks here illustrated have no direct cooperation with the locking devices which conventionally retain the cell door in either a fully opened or fully closed position, the present interlocks do restrict movement of the door 14 in a direction normal to the The interlocking plane of its grating 40. This restriction of lateral move ment overcomes the ability of disgruntled prisoners to set up a loud clamor by rattling the cell door.

Clearly, there has been provided a cell and door arrangement which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have been given only by way of illustration and example. It is further to be understood that changes in the form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and the substitution of equivalent elements, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cell door structure: fixed cell door framing defining a door opening; a movable door hung on the side of the framing to be movable laterally along the framing to close and open the opening; the framing having vertical jambs with elongated strip elements projecting outwardly into the path of the door, the elements on the jambs having slots passing through the elements at a plurality of vertically spaced points therealong; the framing having an additional such outwardly projecting strip element having a plurality of vertically spaced slots passing through it, corresponding to those on the jamb elements, the said additional element being spaced along the framing laterally from the jambs and in the path of the door in its opening movement; the door comprising two spaced vertical side frame members, each of the side members having a plurality of vertically spaced flanges extending laterally in both opposite directions, parallel to the direction of opening and closing movements of the door, the vertical spacing of the flanges corresponding to the spacing of the slots in the jamb elements and in the additional element, and the lateral spacing of the jamb elements from each other and from the additional element corresponding to the spacing of the door side frame members, so that when the door is closed, the flanges extending in one lateral direction on both of its side frame members will interlock with the slots in both door jamb elements to prevent displacement of the door in either direction, inwardly or outwardly from its door framing; and so that when the door is opened the flanges extending in the opposite lateral direction on both of its side frame members will interlock with the slots on one door jamb element and the additional element, to prevent the said displacement.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the door is formed of the side frame members, bottom and top frame members, and spaced rod-like elements between the frame members, and the side frame members are elongated and strip-like members disposed transversely to the plane of the door, and the spaced flanges are elongated, strip-like elements united with the edges of the side frame members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

